The district earned recognition for its integrated welfare and health services, drawing praise for resident-centered care ranging from identifying welfare blind spots to managing chronic health needs.
Mapo-gu has been named the top-performing district in the Seoul Metropolitan Government's "2025 Gu-level Donghaeng Center Operations Performance Evaluation," the district announced. District Mayor Park Kang-su leads the office.
The evaluation covered all 25 autonomous districts in Seoul, assessing performance across 20 indicators in three categories: general operations, welfare and health.
Key assessment criteria included the restructuring of social welfare delivery systems, identification and tailored management of welfare blind spots, support for health-vulnerable populations, and the establishment of cooperative welfare-health frameworks.
Mapo-gu has worked to provide integrated welfare and health services through its Donghaeng Centers, focusing on closing welfare gaps and strengthening health care outreach. Evaluators particularly commended the district for identifying households in crisis through a resident-centered welfare delivery system, providing systematic support to health-vulnerable groups, and building a community-wide integrated care framework that links welfare and health services.
A standout initiative cited as a best-practice case was a community connection program for middle-aged single-person households at high risk of social isolation.
The program paired participants with health coordinators and dedicated primary care physicians to provide health consultations and medical services. Emotional support programs helped residents rebuild social connections and improve their overall well-being.
Last year, the district carried out integrated case management for 95 middle-aged single-person households, providing 39 health screenings, 527 primary care consultations and 180 cases of medical expense support.
The district also ran 100 sessions of social engagement programs, drawing a cumulative 964 participants and contributing to the expansion of residents' social networks.
In addition, Mapo-gu operates a mobile safety monitoring service designed to prevent lonely deaths among socially isolated households, establishing a round-the-clock care system.
The service monitors residents' well-being by tracking mobile phone call records, a dedicated application and IoT devices, and links to an emergency reporting function to enable rapid response in crisis situations.
Last year, 4,089 households used the service, which recorded a 97 percent processing rate for welfare check requests, functioning as a safety net for early detection of and response to warning signs.
"Being named the top district is a meaningful achievement made possible by the Donghaeng Centers and the community working together," a Mapo-gu official said. "We will continue to pay close attention to the welfare and health of our residents and further strengthen our tailored integrated care services."
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